Composted or heat-treated Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin (BSAAO) can be added to soils to provide nutrients for fresh produce. These products lower the risk of pathogen contamination of fresh produce when compared with use of untreated BSAAO; however, meteorological conditions, geographic location, and soil properties can influence the presence of pathogenic bacteria, or their indicators (e.g., generic E. coli) and allow potential for produce contamination. Replicated field plots of loamy or sandy soils were tilled and amended with dairy manure compost (DMC), poultry litter compost (PLC), or no compost (NoC) over two different field seasons, and non-composted heat-treated poultry pellets (HTPP) during the second field season. Plots were inoculated with a three-strain cocktail of rifampicin-resistant E. coli (rE.coli) at levels of 8.7 log CFU/m2. Direct plating and most probable number (MPN) methods measured the persistence of rE.coli and Listeria spp. in plots through 104 days post-inoculation. Greater survival of rE. coli was observed in PLC plots in comparison to DMC plots and NoC plots during year 1 (P < 0.05). Similar trends were observed for year 2, where rE. coli survival was also greater in HTPP amended plots (P < 0.05). Survival of rE. coli was dependent on soil type, where water potential and temperature were significant covariables. Listeria spp. were found in NoC plots, but not in plots amended with HTPP, PLC or DMC. Radish data demonstrate that PLC treatment promoted the greatest level of rE.coli translocation when compared to DMC and NoC treatments (P < 0.05). These results are consistent with findings from studies conducted in other regions of the US and informs Northeast produce growers that composted and non-composted poultry-based BSAAO supports greater survival of rE. coli in field soils. This result has the potential to impact the food safety risk of edible produce grown in BSAAO amended soils as a result of pathogen contamination.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
- Always boil raw milk
- Store at 4ºC
- Consume it within 3 days of purchasing it
TREAT RAW MILK SAFELY
The raw milk has unique virtues such as its taste, texture and smell. At the same time, it is a very direct link with good farmers, because it can only be sold by farms that meet a series of animal health and hygiene requirements in their milking facilities .
However, raw milk, due to its special composition, can contain bacteria that are harmful to health, mainly Salmonella , Campylobacter , Listeria and Escherichia coli.
In Spain, the direct sale of raw milk to the consumer is allowed as long as the requirements established in the hygiene package regulations and the additional requirements established in Royal Decree 1086/2020 , of December 9, by which regulate and make flexible certain conditions of application of the provisions of the European Union regarding hygiene in the production and marketing of food products and activities excluded from their scope of application are regulated.
Milk-producing farms may only supply raw milk from their own farm directly to the final consumer or to retail establishments that supply directly to the final consumer if they meet the following requirements:
- The establishment is authorized and registered in the General Registry of Food and Food Companies
- The milk has to be sold
- The package label indicates the expiration date not exceeding three days after milking and the following indications:
- Raw milk without heat treatment: Consume only after boiling for at least one minute.
- Store refrigerated between 1 and 4 ºC.
- Retail establishments may only use raw milk as a raw material or ingredient for food processing if it is boiled or subjected to an equivalent culinary treatment.
- However, catering establishments that serve food to vulnerable communities , such as hospitals, nursery schools, colleges or homes for the elderly, cannot use raw milk.
To drink milk safely , follow the instructions below:
 |
Transport raw milk quickly to your home and boil it immediately , in order to destroy any bacteria it contains. Use a container with a wide base and stir while it boils. Once the boiling foam has risen, turn off the heat. Immediately, you have to cool it down and put it in the refrigerator, in the coldest place, at a temperature below 4ºC, and it is necessary to keep it covered to prevent it from becoming contaminated and acquiring odors from other foods. |
 |
If you cannot boil the milk right away, put it in the fridge at a temperature below 4ºC. But boil it as soon as possible . |
 |
You can also freeze raw milk , just like you do with other foods. Freezing, however, does not kill bacteria, so to ensure safety, remember that it is best to always boil milk before freezing . To maintain its structure and prevent it from precipitating, it must be stirred well before freezing and, even, it must be stirred several times while it freezes. |
 |
You must defrost the milk in the refrigerator. It may happen that it has a slightly grainy texture, which is normal. Remember to keep frozen milk well covered to prevent it from absorbing strange odors. |
 |
It is recommended that raw milk be consumed within 3 days of purchase, that is, without exceeding 72 hours. |
Pregnant women, children, the elderly and people with depressed immunity are more susceptible to foodborne infections, for this reason, they must take special care to strictly comply with these measures.
FoodWorld 